The Video Stores Josephine Tovey HBO Is a Phenomenon - They're

Sydney Morning Herald Brief: VIDEORENT Saturday 9/8/2008 Page: 10 Section: General News Region: Sydney Circulation: 364,000 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 187.33 sq.cms. Published: MTWTFS- RENTALS Wecanrewind: televisionsaves the video stores Josephine Tovey HBO is a phenomenon - they're ...... really big business." VIDEO may have long ago killed The latest hit is the US cop show the radio star, but now it seemsThe Wire, which, bolstered by TV is rescuing the video store. word of mouth, had "gone nuts" in Over the past decade video the past month, Fenton said. Sev- stores have been slowly disap-eral episodes of the Australian pearing from high streets aroundshow Love My Way are in the Australia, forced out by growingstore's top 20 most popular competition from piracy, internet rentals, up there with blockbuster downloads and pay TV. films such as The Matrix. Word of mouth ... the quality US But the burgeoning popularity At Video Ezy, rentals of TV series police series The Wire. of television series on DVD ishave risen by 70 per cent the past helping to keep the video storeyear, and are still growing. Paul from becoming a romanticised, Uniacke, the managing director of retail relic. Rentals of TV series atFranchise Entertainment Group, one chain have jumped 70 perwhich owns both Video Ezy and cent in the past year. Blockbuster, said video stores had Network Video in Stanmoreto meet the demand for TV series may end up being the last oneto keep afloat. standing in a corner of Sydney's Along with internet terminals, inner west. At least eight othercoffee shops and retail services, video stores nearby have closedhis stores will soon be offering down in the past decade. high-speed downloading services Despite experiencing the sameso customers can take movies Australian drama ... Love My slow reduction in business as thehome on their MP3 players. Way is a popular rental. rest of the industry, Network Fenton and his co-manager, Video's manager, Charlie Fenton,Deanna Reading, have bucked a devotee of cult TV shows suchthe trend of the large chains by as Buffy the Vampire Slayer andretaining much of their back Deadwood,said the appetite forcatalogue and investing in cult, renting TV series was still grow-foreign and classic movies. The ing. "We used to get one copy of astore has even retained many show where now we'll orderhard-to-find movies on VHS. three," he said. Fenton is optimistic that, like The cable dramas that havevinyl, videos and DVDs will never never been shown on free-to-aircompletely lose their appeal. "I TV in Australia, or only in late-think some people will always like night time slots, are particularlyto come and browse, and handle popular. "[The cable channel] the [title] itself."